The vision of the Women of Color Alliance (WOCA) grew out of conversations dating back to 1999 among several leading Native, Latina, Black, and Immigrant Women to discuss issues that faced their communities and throughout out the state of Idaho. Our initial focus was simply to find ways of supporting each other in the isolating and changing landscape of Idaho. WOCA’s journey began by first asking Native Women Elders at Fort Hall Indian Reservation for prayer and guidance before we began our mission to develop a firm and institutional foundation on Civil and Human Rights, Political and Economic Social Justice, led by and on behalf of women of color. We continue to work to advance ourselves and confront the very root of our systemic oppression; we began to educate ourselves on how our own internalized oppression can and often does create barriers to achieving empowerment.

WOCA empowers women of color by giving them a support system and a place to speak up and out from; knowing we are not alone in addressing the very issues that have often frightened us… we are here, strong, spiritual and allied with one another, sisters throughout Idaho, white allies, in numbers to make a significant difference in small baby steps. Most importantly, WOCA has been identified as the central organization bringing together a diverse group of women to work collectively to create Economic and Social change in Idaho.